This invention relates to dental instruments for operation in remote locations, and especially to portable instruments. My invention has particular application to the practice of dentistry in underdeveloped regions and also to veterinary dentistry. More specifically, the invention relates to portable air-driven dental drilling and bone cutting apparatus and methods.
The air-driven dental apparatus that is disclosed herein has been successfully tested for treating patients of the Huaorani tribe in the Amazon jungles of Ecuador. Its major components can be readily disassembled, so that they can fit within a compact hand-carried case, and be readily reassembled for use when needed.
Current dental procedures for remote locations, as prescribed by the World Health Organization, call for purely manual operations, without recourse to a dental drill. Such operations preclude silver fillings and other treatments that may necessitate drilling or cutting of dental bones.
It is therefore the purpose of this invention to provide portable dental drilling equipment that will be practical and cost-effective for use in remote and impoverished regions.
Previously reported portable air-driven dental instruments require either a disposable or refillable compressed air container, such as those used by scuba divers, for their operation. Such containers have to be frequently replaced. The replacement costs of the disposable containers may be beyond the means of some impoverished populations in underdeveloped regions. The refillable containers require heavy and costly air compressors and electrical or internal-combustion-engine power, which are not usually available in remote and underdeveloped places. Also, the weight of these containers, when added to that of other needed supplies and equipment, makes it inconvenient to hand-carry the entire equipment to remote areas.
It is therefore another object of this invention to provide a dental drilling instrument that can operate without either electrical power or a compressed air tank.
The preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein usually requires the aid of one or two persons for operation during a dental treatment. This requirement presents no problem in most cases where there is plenty of manpower available. However, in veterinary dentistry, the readily available manpower may be needed to restrain a treated animal. It may then be desirable to have the ability to operate the equipment single-handedly.
It is therefore still another object of this invention to provide inexpensive and portable or easily transportable dental drilling equipment that can be operated preferably by a single person.
Other objects of the invention will become apparent to professionals in dentistry and related areas following perusal of the complete specification.